Heartworm Disease on the Rise in Both Dogs and Cats
Posted by Contributor on May 28, 2010 in Cats, Dogs • No commentsEach and every year, veterinarians brace for a disease that has plagued our pets for many years. However this affliction is easily preventable by using inexpensive and safe prescription drugs. Occurrences of Heartworms in both dogs and cats persist to escalate and also the expense for treatment of (when discovered early enough) is actually much larger that the expense to prevent. Consequently, how could you offer protection to your pet from the fatal consequences of this now wide-spread parasite?
Flash back to 150 years ago when a scientist very first stumbled on the heartworm parasite in a dog. Then the parasite evolved and was then discovered in our cats 80 years ago. Even though heartworm prevention is available for both cats and dogs you would believe that we would experience a decrease in the amount of cases, still each and every year thousands and thousands of dogs and cats are diagnosed and often die too soon from this dreaded parasite. Some experts approximate that in North America alone, cases of heartworms in our pets could actually be in the millions.
The disease attributable to this heartworm dwelling inside of your pet’s heart is disastrous. Your pet could be infected by the one-time bite of just one mosquito. The worm may then migrate through your pet’s body ultimately taking up residence in your pet’s heart chamber and the blood vessels leading to the lungs. This results in your pet’s heart having to pump harder to circulate the blood through his tiny body. The consequences to the lungs is far more critical with some pets gasping for breath because the lungs fill with fluid and tiny blood clots clog the vessels. Early signs may include coughing and exercise intolerance that some owners just attribute to the dog being lazy. Often, symptoms usually do not surface until the disease is well advanced and the dog is being affected by heart failure, fluid accumulation in the lungs and belly which could subsequently result in death.
In cats, it takes only one heartworm to trigger damage. The first signs are asthma like symptoms and frequently vomiting that the owners may attribute to hairballs. If that heartworm lodges in the lungs, it may result in a sudden death of the cats.
Treatment for heartworms is expensive ranging from $500 for the smaller sized dogs, to well over $1500 for the larger breeds. Complicated heartworm disease with cardiac failure is even more expensive and oftentimes there is only a 10% chance of recovery in the severely afflicted pets. As of yet, there is no treatment for cat heartworm disease, just supportive care.
Incredibly, veterinarians do have a solution for this problem. Safe, effective heartworm preventatives are available in many different simple to use applications. What is even more amazing is that the expense of a lifetime of prevention for most pets is considerably less that the one-time treatment for the disease. And so, why do pets continue to suffer and die from such a preventable illness?
With all internet myths, two major notions suggest that either the heartworm medications are failing or that the parasites are developing a resistance to the medicines. While conspiracy theorists love these ideas, scientific proof for either explanation is absent. Heartworm preventives have a failure rate of less than 1 in 1 million doses. Furthermore, the complicated life cycle of the heartworm does not lend itself to creating a natural resistance to the drugs. The truth likely lies in the memory of the owner to dispense the dose in a monthly manner and the climate.
Rising temperatures in our climate has triggered an extended mosquito season and a greater probability of transmission to our pets. Here in Houston, our mosquito season is all year round. Some locations are now experiencing more mosquitoes in previously mosquito-free regions. Irrigation of dry areas and increased plantings of trees in certain regions may actually help to increase mosquito population. With a greater number of mosquitoes, there is a greater risk of transmission of heartworm disease.
Once all of the facts are reviewed, the simplest reason behind our failure to manage this fatal parasite rests on the humans themselves. We simply do not give the preventive as we should. It may be as a result of forgetfulness, or possibly one partner thought the other one gave it or even it could be because of the overall economy plus the budgetary limitations imposed on the household. Regardless of the reason may very well be, it can bring about serious consequences for the health of our pets.
Luckily, as pet lovers, you do have powerful allies to help battle the war against heartworms. Through the help of your veterinarian, you are able to choose the most effective heartworm medication for your pet and your budget. Oral prescription drugs, like Heartgard, Sentinel, and Iverhart are available. There are also topical medications such as Advantage-Multi and Revolution that are formulated to also provide protection to your pet from both heartworms and fleas. Proheart 6 is also available as a long-lasting injection. The prevention of this illness rests entirely on the pet’s owners to be sure the pet gets the prevention prior to the pet is actually exposed to the parasite. That means that the prevention should commence in puppy-hood and be supplied every month, throughout the year.
Don’t waste time hunting for “natural” or organic methods to defend against heartworms; they just do not exist. Many individuals believe they can formulate ivermectin to offer to their pets, but improper dilution and storage can cause overdosing or underdosing. Abide by recommendations by your veterinarian and the American Heartworm Society (www.heartwormsociety.org) Your pet is relying on you and prevention is more effective and less expensive compared to treatment.
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